The Looking Glass
by ShadowLullaby
Summary: A KenKao fic. One fateful night, the player son of a business tycoon hits a dirty girl with his car. When she wakes up, she ends up battling not only the loss of her memory, but also the dangerous intensity in a pair of golden amber eyes.
1. Crash Into Me

**Author's Notes: Heya people! This is just me wanting to write something kinda light. Yes, it will generally revolve around a cliche. But, hey, let's face it - we can't escape cliches. In fact, that's why they're called such. Hope you just give this a try.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RK.**

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The Looking Glass

**Chapter 1: Crash Into Me**

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" Listen, Takima, I made things clear when we first started this," 17-year-old Himura Kenshin calmly told the furious girl beside him.

"Made things clear! When exactly did you make things clear! Was it in between our kisses or when you were dancing all around me underneath the blanket in your bed!" The poor girl's eyes were practically popping out of their sockets in anger. Like she couldn't believe that things were going to end this way. "Answer me!"

Kenshin sighed, trying to control his frustration. _This woman is way too annoying._ "You knew about my reputation long before we got together. I made no promises whatsoever and I expected no more from you."

He looked at her for the first time during their car ride, taking his gaze away from the road for a couple of seconds. Amber eyes fixed themselves upon her face and she started crying. "You should have known what you were getting yourself into. And, now, we're through." His voice rang of finality and he resumed looking ahead.

"Why?" she whispered. Upon hearing her voice, he almost felt a pang of guilt. Almost.

"Look, I'm just not feeling it anymore okay? I'm sorry." Those words stung and he could sense Takima's body seize up.

"What did you say!"

"You heard me. Like I said, I'm sorry. Really, I am." But, even while he said this, his voice expressed no hint of remorse. She was finally silent. But he could feel her eyes boring holes in his face. Her soft sobs assaulted his ears. He was sincerely glad that she was not holding any sort of weapon at that moment or he might really have a situation in his hands.

After what seemed like the longest ride of his life, he finally parked outside her family's house. "We're here," he stated indifferently.

He was afraid that if he said anything more than that, she might act up again. She hurriedly opened the door and got out. But she stopped to give him one last dark glare.

"I hate you," she hissed and her once beautiful mouth was twisted in a hateful snarl.

He didn't reply and instead drove away. He had heard that a hundred times before. From various girls. He couldn't even remember some of their names. He sighed for the second time that night. Why couldn't women be more like men when it came to love? All of them couldn't seem to understand that it was infinitely better to just kiss and play around without having to worry about the restrictions that came with commitment. It was definitely a lot more interesting and a lot less boring.

"More variety," he said smirking. Thoughts of Aya had now completely disappeared. _Another one finished._

As he drove through the vast expanse of night with the lights from the city's several buildings just a series of sparkles,he could already feel his fingers tingling in anticipation of a new fling. In response to his thoughts, his mobile suddenly came to life and he heard its familiar ringing. He smiled, eager to find out who was calling him now, and decided to pay her a visit tonight. _It's still far too early to go home._ His left arm automatically reached towards his pocket. As his fingers wrapped around the device, a bump on the road caused his car to jerk up suddenly and it rolled out of his hand and slid on the passenger seat.

"Damn." Kenshin instinctively leaned sideward, afraid that it might stop ringing.

But the movement cost him a great deal because, at that instant, a woman appeared almost out of nowhere and his eyes widened as he saw and felt his car crash into her. Metal and steel meet human flesh and her body flew up like it was absolutely weightless. All of his body parts seemed to have stiffened, then his senses peaked and he hit the brakes a second after he collided with her. His car was still swerving dangerously when he swiftly jumped out of it and sped towards the victim. _I'm dead. Dead._ He didn't know what he was feeling right then. A mixture of alarm and panic and so many other emotions. His mind was racing with all sorts of possible situations. The press eating him alive. His dad's angry voice. Jail. _Jail!_ This could not be happening. His family could not handle another scandal because of him.

As he reached the woman's body, his pace slowed down. He felt his heart pounding and he found himself praying to all the heavenly gods he knew. _Just don't let her be dead._

What he reached was the body of a young girl probably no older than he was completely covered with dirt. He almost drew back in repulsion. Her face was partially distorted from his sight by mud and dust and her clothes were unrecognizable. _Uuugh._ Very slowly, he knelt down to feel her pulse. Kenshin exhaled in relief. She was still alive. He carefully took her in his arms. thankful for the fact that she was at least not that heavy. When he reached his car, he placed her in the back seat, got in, and zoomed away with only one destination in mind.

* * *

"How could you have allowed this to happen!" Himura Saoto forcefully asked his son.

"It's not as if I meant it," Kenshin retorted.

He was sitting on one of the small corner chairs, away from the steaming businessman. They had been at this for 10 minutes now.

"You could have tried not to!" his father responded just as stubbornly.

"Oh that's just great! Now I'm even expected to control every damn thing that comes my way!" He stood up, prepared to storm out of the room.

Saoto's brown eyes flashed. "Kenshin." Kenshin stopped.

Even if he and his dad had had this scene more times than he could count, something in his father's commanding voice made him hesitate.

"An unconscious woman is in the next room with four broken bones and a serious concussion because of you." The young man turned to face his companion.

Didn't Saoto know that he felt bad enough already? Yes, he could be a bastard when it came to a lot of things, but he was still a normal, breathing human being capable of feeling sorry. "I didn't want to involve you guys. I told you I could handle this on my own," he said quietly. He kept his arms at his side in a conscious effort to stop himself from losing control.

"I wish it could be that way, Kenshin. But whatever you do is directly connected to this family."

_Calm down. Breathe._ Just as he expected, his father was, once again, able to turn this into something all about him and his goals. He felt his face clench and, before he could stop himself, his mouth opened, ready to tell Saoto just what he thought about his self-centeredness. Fortunately, the opening of the door interrupted them and the elegant feet of Himura Yumi stepped into the carpeted room.

Kenshin felt a pang when he saw his mother's pretty but weary face. She looked tired. Out of everything that happened that night, nothing moved him more than his mother's sorry state. Yumi looked at her husband and then Kenshin. Understanding dawned in her green eyes and she spoke out quickly, trying to turn their attention from each other to her.

"She's stable. The doctor said that it's a miracle those are the only injuries she has. It's a good thing she was attended to directly."

Kenshin felt his entire body relax and he tried to suppress a grin. As usual, Saoto found something bad in the otherwise good news.

"But how will we deal with her? The press is going to have a field day." His mother approached her husband and sat down on the couch beside him.

"The young girl has to stay with us until she is well and we can send her back to her family safely. Since she is in no apparent danger, all we can do is try to accommodate her and make her feel as comfortable as possible."

"Is she awake?" Kenshin asked, finally speaking.

"No. The doctor says that she'll be asleep for a few days. We will try to question her as soon as she comes to. In the meantime, try to keep the house as peaceful as possible."

Having heard everything he wanted to hear, Kenshin moved briskly towards the door, turned the knob, and let himself out. He wanted to avoid his father's upcoming tirade of other people's opinions and how everyone would learn about it sooner or later. He walked down the long bright hall, deeply immersed in his own thoughts. Despite himself, he stopped outside the door where the girl he had accidentally injured lay. He could hear the beeping of machines and could smell the sharp sting of medicine.

Kenshin wrinkled his nose in distaste. Slowly, as if afraid to be caught by anyone, he peeked inside, greeted by around three to four contraptions and a series of tubes that surrounded the very pale girl. She was now clean and in simple white clothes. A huge plastic mask covered her face. His forehead wrinkled in concern. He truly was sorry for hitting her._ Can't do anything about that anymore._ And he closed the door just as quietly.

* * *

Yumi was in the process of placing flowers in the various vases she had stationed inside the room. The once lifeless chamber was now bursting with color and brightness. That was the very first thing she had addressed upon the young woman's unexpected arrival.

Yumi looked at the silent girl beside her. Her eyes were still closed. Her body still gave no indication of movement. She heard herself sigh. Everyone in the house had been waiting for some time now for the girl to wake up. Even the servants were anxious. It had been three days since that night and she was starting to grow concerned despite the doctor's assurances. Shaking her head to dispel her gloomy thoughts, she continued her task, humming a soft and easy tune.

That was when she heard the bed creak and her head snapped back in surprise. As she watched in amazement, the woman on the bed slowly raised her lids and revealed the most fascinating blue eyes she had ever seen. Those sparkling orbs widened in surprise and fear when they rested upon her. Not wanting to scare their guest, she immediately started to talk to the bewildered girl. "Good morning, dear. How are you feeling?"

The patient started to get up, but stopped abruptly when she hit the IV tube hooked into her. She gasped in agony.

"Careful, you might hurt yourself," Yumi said soothingly.

"Where am I?" came the frail voice.

"You're in our home, sweetie." Those blue eyes clouded in confusion.

"I'm where? Why?"

She didn't want to alarm the poor dear, but she knew that she had to give her some answers so, against her better judgment, she decided to give her the facts as gently as possible.

"My son accidentally hit you with his car and he brought you here so that we could nurse you back to health." She could sense the other woman's panic so she proceeded hurriedly. "Don't worry there's nothing in the hospital that we don't already have here."

The girl ignored her, "He what!"

"Ssshh, calm down honey. We'll try to help you any way we can. Don't even worry about it."

She could sense her guest's continued hesitation and tried to ease it away. "May I know you're name, dear?"

She saw the young girl's face change suddenly and, for a few seconds, they were both silent. The pale face became even paler and looked momentarily stunned.

"I don't know," her guest whispered.

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Author's Notes: Gomen ne. I know it's short. More KK action in the next chapter.**


	2. Sweets and Spices

**Author's Notes: HAPPY NEW YEAR MINNA-SAN! Arigatou to all the reviewers! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Keep 'em coming! Hehe. A review always makes my day. I really, really wanted to upload this yesterday, but, unfortunately, I couldn't get it done. But here it is. I'm so happy coz' I was able to update within a week! I think I'm in shock. Hope you like this next chap. Again, this story is generally a compilation of 'moments' between Kenshin and Kaoru. Nothing earth-shattering. Just the typical teenage drama and mischief. **

**Sigh… I do not own RK…wipes tears**

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The Looking Glass

**Chapter 2: Sweets and Spices**

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Kenshin found himself sitting in the den, waiting for his mother. She had told him earlier that she wanted to talk to him about something important. He presumed that it would be about the girl. His body slouched a little on the chair as he allowed himself to reminisce. The girl had been with them for over a month now and she still hadn't regained her memory. He involuntarily flinched when he recalled the outburst his father had had upon discovering that she had amnesia, and a very bad case of it according to the doctor. He had tried several times to visit the room she was in and make friends with her, but he had a feeling that it would be a little on the sentimental side and he never could handle sentimentality. Add that to the fact that he had slowly begun to resent her. Or, maybe not her, just the situation they were in.

In a matter of weeks, she had become the darling of the entire household. Even her father seemed to like her, which was highly unusual. If he heard one more comment about how nice she was or how sweet she could be, he would probably go stark raving mad. His face darkened at the thought. Since when did he become this childish? Did he even have the right to think that? Especially since he was the one who put her there?

He began stretching his legs to occupy his time. He wished his mother would hurry up.

It wasn't long before he heard the swinging of a door and Yumi appeared before him, smiling happily.

"Kenshin, you're here. Did you wait long?" she asked, walking gracefully towards her son.

He shrugged, not moving from where he was sitting. He noticed how his mother's enthusiasm was dampened by his reaction.

"Oh, alright then," she uncertainly continued, "I just wanted to discuss our guest's condition. This won't take long."

"What's to discuss? She's doing fine, isn't she? We're feeding her, clothing her, sheltering her. What more can we do?" he responded a little too harshly.

His mother's frowned.

"Is there anything wrong, honey?"

"No, mom there isn't," Kenshin replied, eager to just get this conversation over with. "Okay, I'm listening, shoot," he gave in.

Yumi still looked perplexed, but she spoke up anyway.

"She has fully recovered physically. But-"

"But she still doesn't remember a thing, right?" he interrupted.

"Yes, she still has amnesia and the specialists we've hired don't know how to remedy it yet. Until then, we will continue to take care of her. Your father and I have already contacted the proper authorities and have left them the task of finding her family."

"Looks like you've got everything figured out."

"It seems that way. But there is still something we've failed to resolve."

_Here it comes._

"She really is a very cheerful girl, but, even though she has repeatedly told us that she's okay, we feel that it would be best for her to start living a normal life again."

"And, by normal, you mean what?"

"School. Going out. Making friends."

"And where do I come in?" he asked her, hoping that whatever she said wouldn't be that bad.

"You're going to be her guide."

"Her what?" he snorted.

He was not made for jobs like guiding someone. Reaching out and being friendly were simply not things he was good at.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," his mother cooed, "Just take her to school and back. Accompany her to a few parties and introduce her to people. I'm sure she'll have no trouble fitting in. She's a wonderful girl," Yumi concluded smiling.

_Don't give in. Stay strong man._

"If she's so wonderful, why can't she get along by herself," he said carelessly.

"Kenshin!" she exclaimed reprovingly,

"But mom-"

"Don't 'but mom' me, young man," she interjected, "Don't think I haven't noticed that you still have not gone to visit the poor girl. Not even for a couple of measly minutes. I'm beginning to think that you have something against her."

His mother fixed him with a hard stare, and he unconsciously shifted in his seat. She could be just as stubborn as his father, and, maybe, even more convincing when she wanted to be. And Kenshin had no doubt that she was choosing to be at that moment. He could already feel his resolve weakening. But he found his nerve and resumed his struggle.

"I don't have anything against her. It's just that I'm not really good at those things. I'd probably end up scaring her."

But, even to him, he sounded lame. He was a goner. He knew it. And so did she.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Yumi said, looking at him sharply. "Now, no more excuses and go to school already. You will take her with you tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow!"

This time, he was the one shocked.

"Why so soon?"

"The sooner, the better."

He couldn't help but express his displeasure, which his mother ignored.

"You _will_ do it, right?" she asked him, arching her eyebrow. Her usually gentle face was clenched in quiet determination.

"Yes mom," he heard himself saying.

Kenshin was stuck.

* * *

The raven-haired girl put on the uniform the maid had placed on her bed earlier as quickly as possible. She started to panic when her hand began fumbling with the zipper.

"Oh no! This. Cannot. Be. Happening!"

She forced it up with one violent pull and didn't bother looking at it even when she heard a funny sound. She immediately rushed to the mirror, grabbed a brush, and ran it through her hair a few times. She was going to be in major trouble if she didn't get out soon. She knew for a fact that Mrs. Himura's son had been waiting for her for a good twenty minutes now. _But it wasn't my fault._ She had set the alarm clock to ring at 6:30. How was she to know that it had no batteries? _Stupid machines. Only work when you don't need them._

As she slung her bag over her shoulders, she got a glimpse of black hair and white skin. Her body automatically paused. Her reflection. Her eyes suddenly became glassy. The rapid knocking of a servant woke her from her reverie.

"Ma'am, Sir Kenshin asked me to tell you that he's at the living room. He's waiting for you there."

She gasped as the present came flooding back and she remembered where she was and what she was supposed to be doing. _This is not the time to space out._

"Tell him, I'll be right there. I'll just take a sec."

She scanned her room one more time, trying to search for things she might have forgotten to bring. _This is definitely not my day._

Finally, she was able to step out of the room and enter the long hallway. In her haste, she didn't even realize that this was the first time that she had gone out of her chamber. And that she had no idea where she was going. She just kept on running, whisking past the portraits of the Himura's different family members.

Then it all caught up with her when she found herself in front of a wide entranceway that led to several rooms. _Oh god._ She stayed in the same spot, jumping up and down, trying to figure out what she was going to do. _Their son must hate me by now. He must think I'm major prima donna. _She looked back, hoping to find someone. But she was completely alone. Nothing but thick painted walls and incredibly bright lights surrounded her. _This place is too darn big!_

"Umm..hello..hello…Anyone here!"

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Kenshin looked at the grandfather clock beside him. He huffed in frustration. When was this damn girl going to appear? He had been there for 30 minutes now. He was seriously considering leaving her.

"I'm giving her five minutes and then I'm outta here," he mumbled.

With an impatient growl, he pulled himself up and started pacing across the marble floor. _This chick is too much trouble!_ He still had to meet Manami before class. He wasn't ready to drop her just yet.

Getting tired, he walked towards the wooden shelf, which held some of his father's books. Kenshin scanned the numerous titles and concluded that every one of them was just as boring as the rest. _How can my father read all of these?_ His eyes rested upon a phrase. 'The Agony of Being'. _Interesting._

"Never knew father was such a sap."

He took it in his hands and sat down again, leafing through it and not minding the blaring television. Snippets of paragraphs and scenes met his eyes. The book was actually not that bad.

But before he could continue his examination of the work, he heard shouting in the hall. It reverberated all throughout the house.

"Akima."

A sad-looking petite woman came in.

"Sir Kenshin?" she asked shyly, looking at the ground.

He ignored her obvious discomfort and coolly asked her to see what all the racket was about. She acknowledged his order with a shy bow and excused herself. When the maid was gone, he continued his perusal of the novel.

It wasn't long before he heard footsteps.

The faint scent of jasmine reached his nose and he stopped and unconsciously breathed into it. _And here she is_. He sensed hesitation and he smirked inwardly. No way was he going to help her out. Kenshin waited patiently for her to say something, his back to her.

She was quickly able to move past her awkwardness.

"I am SO sorry," she said pleadingly. "The useless clock didn't ring and I woke up about an hour later than I had originally planned. Oh god, I made you wait for so long. Are we late? Cause if we are, I'll just die. Really. Then I got lost and couldn't figure out what to do, so I started shouting. I disturbed you, didn't I? It's a good thing Akima found me."

His lips twitched in amusement when she paused to breathe and then resumed her banter.

"My first day! I can't believe this. I bet you're just dying to kill me. I promise it'll never happen again. I do. Next time, _you_ can make me wait. I swear. I-"

"Look, let's just go, okay,' he said coldly.

As much as he liked hearing her squirm, he knew they had to leave already. So he regretfully put an end to her discomfort.

"Just try not to take too long grooming next time," he added disdainfully.

The woman behind was clearly taken aback. He could almost hear her hissing.

"I was _not_ grooming."

"Sure, whatever..err.."

He stopped for just the briefest moment. But it was enough to make him uncomfortable. Silence followed. And then.

"Ummm…it's okay. It doesn't really bother me," he heard her say a little too steadily.

"Everyone cares whether he or she has a name or not," he countered.

"Yeah but-"

"Do you want everyone to keep calling you Miss all the time?"

"No but-"

"So it's not okay."

"That's not what I mean. I-"

"Then what do you mean-"

"Would you let me talk please!" She said sharply.

Kenshin could hardly contain his smile and it took all of his willpower to maintain his rigid composure.

"Then talk."

"I will, thank you very much," she said, attempting to conceal her anger. "For your information, I've already thought about it and I've decided to choose a name for myself. Just call me Sami."

"Sami?" he snorted.

"What's wrong with Sami!" the girl exclaimed stiffly.

"I think the proper question would be what's right with it?"

_This is just too much. _This time, he could no longer stop himself from grinning.

"Oh, is that so," she sputtered.

"Yes, that is so."

"If you're so brilliant, what would you suggest then?"

The question seemed to hang in the air between them.

Strangely, it made him think. _What would I name her?_ He tried looking around the room, searching for something.

"I'm waiting," came her annoying singsong.

His gaze fell upon the book he was holding. A thought struck him.

"Kaoru."

"What?"

"Kaoru," he repeated, looking at her for the first time as he carelessly tossed her the book.

When his cynical eyes met her angry ones, Kenshin did the smallest of double takes.

* * *

She started in surprise when he threw her the book. After she caught it, she turned furious eyes toward him. The man was absolutely infuriating. And he had just spent around five minutes talking to her while sitting on a chair, facing the television. _Of all the rude things!_

But, at that instant, her eyes connected with amber. Deep, hot amber. _You have got to be kidding me!_

Her hand froze just the slightest bit. Conversation ceased and she watched as his eyes left hers and slowly traveled down her body. Her face flushed and she felt as if she should be covering herself for some reason. Looking at him now, she could understand why all the younger maids spoke about him in giggles. He smirked knowingly at her stunned expression. The sight made all of her initial rage return.

Sure, he might seem a _little_ cute to _some_ people, but she was most definitely not about to join his fan club. _And that jerk is looking at me as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking. _The thought made her blood boil.

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"What are you looking at?" she spat.

"What are _you_ looking at?"

She literally bit her tongue to keep herself from saying something she knew she would regret. He eyed her chosen silence in amusement.

"So," he said, in an attempt to bring back their past conversation, "what do you think about the name?"

"What name?"

"What else? Kaoru."

She'd forgotten about that.

"Oh _that _name," she said with false indifference. She paused for a few seconds, making sure to give a bad interpretation of a person thinking, "umm..it's okay, I guess."

"You guess?" he smirked, "It's certainly better than Sami."

"Will you quit with the Sami thing!" she responded in exasperation.

"You're just embarrassed because you came up with a really crappy name."

That was it! She had had it! Her vision disappeared and all she saw was red. The next thing she knew, she was throwing the book back at Kenshin. This time with a lot more force. The arrogant boy looked at the object in alarm. _I hope it hits you. _And she really thought it would. But before there was any sort of contact, he bent down in one fluid motion and missed it by a hair. It ended up crashing into the wall behind him.

She was normally not the type of person who held grudges. In fact, she forgave rather easily. But she simply could not believe that this man had the nerve to mock and ridicule her when he was the reason why she had ended up in a bed for several weeks. To top it all of, he hadn't even bothered to visit her or give her flowers or say hello or _anything_!

"What's your problem! That could have hit me!" he shouted.

"Too bad it didn't!"

He looked at her in disbelief. Then those amber eyes narrowed.

"Fine be that way!" And he stormed out of the room. "Let's just get the hell outta here."

She grimly followed him out and allowed him to lead her along the vast passageways and out of the house where his car was waiting for them.

"Get in," he said.

She slid in soundlessly, not looking at him.

* * *

Kenshin started the engine and maneuvered his wheels out of the driveway. A few seconds later, they found themselves driving across the long road towards their school. He knew he was speeding. But he didn't care. He sat beside her fuming. When he first got a good look at her, he had been quite surprised at how she was not the ugly, poor woman he had expected. In fact, he had even gone as far as to check her out, and had found himself liking what he saw. But she just had to open her mouth. And had tried to **physically harm** him.

His anger kept him occupied all throughout the ride. His companion didn't say a thing either, which was how he liked it. It wasn't long before they arrived at school.

"We're here," he said coldly.

* * *

She took a deep breath when she heard his words. She had a feeling a lot of things were going to happen.**

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Author's Notes: So, how do you like it? I hope you're not too disappointed. The good news is that the next chapter will start with them going to school (finally) so it's gonna be a bit more interesting. I hope….Don't forget to review smiles About 'The Agony of Being', I just made it all up so if there really is a book entitled such, I had no idea whatsoever and I wasn't attempting to "steal" it or anything.**


	3. The Unattainable

**Author's Notes: Hey! I'm back with another chapter. Really hope you review coz how will I be able to know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong? That, plus the fact that I'm a review-hungry author..hehe..I live and breathe for your reviews..Ok, That was an exaggeration. But you get the picture, right? This is 2 pages longer than the last one so I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own RK.**

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The Looking Glass

**Chapter 3: The Unattainable**

* * *

As he turned the engine off, he heard her mutter, "finally." _Stupid, arrogant chick._

He swiftly got out of the car and automatically took a few steps forward. Then he realized that she had not done the same. He looked back at her annoyed, his mouth set in a scowl. When Kenshin's eyes landed on her face, he was surprised to see that her forehead was wrinkled worriedly and her eyes were unsteady. _She's nervous._

"You're not scared, are you?" he asked a little too sarcastically.

Her eyes refocused almost immediately and gave him the glare that he was hurriedly becoming familiar with.

"I'm not scared of anything," she retorted, her blue eyes darkening.

He chuckled, the corners of his mouth turning upward.

"We'll see," he replied, smirking at the angry girl who had gotten out of the vehicle and was now standing across him with her arms crossed.

"Can you handle getting to class alone or do you need me to look after you?"

He gave her a patronizing stare. Her gaze intensified.

"I'll be fine as long as I'm away from you," she exclaimed scathingly.

He chuckled once again, simply because he knew it infuriated her.

"Then have fun." He turned around and started walking away.

Kenshin could still feel her blazing eyes and he felt a little guilty for disobeying his mother. But he shook the feeling away. _She's a big girl. And I've got things to do. _He smiled at the thought of Manami and how she was undoubtedly waiting for him beside his locker.

After a few seconds of walking and passing by several entranceways, he arrived at his destination. There she was, leaning against the wall, wearing a hot pink top and a short, black skirt. Her brown hair loose and her green eyes sparkling. His eyes were immediately drawn to her long legs.

"Hey lover," she greeted, smiling provocatively.

"Hey yourself," he said, casually slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her towards him.

"You gonna give me a kiss or what?" he whispered.

She giggled and looked at him through downcast lashes. Kenshin smiled. He knew how this game was played and had played it several times with girls exactly like Manami. They all wanted the same thing and he decided to give her just that. His lips planted themselves directly on her full mouth and he felt her pull him in, her lips responding to his every movement. Kenshin had her crushed between the locker and his body in a matter of seconds. But much to his amusement, she didn't seem to mind at all. Just when they were getting more passionate, they heard a loud and annoying voice.

"Take it to a room, man!"

Kenshin disentangled himself from her eager embrace and faced his grinning friend.

"Into spying now, Sano?"

"Spying's all about keeping it a secret. Sucking face in the middle of the entire school isn't exactly what I call discreet," the tall boy teased.

Kenshin couldn't help but smile at that and brought his eyes once again to the girl clinging to his arm.

"You alright?"

She looked at him coyly. "I'll be alright when we can finish this," she replied softly and started walking down the hall, her hips swaying promisingly. The two boys kept their eyes glued to her retreating back until she was out of sight.

"That girl is hot, dude."

The redhead laughed. They exchanged high fives and started going to their first class.

"How long do you think she'll last?" Sano asked.

"Considering she's a good kisser, a week tops," he said indifferently.

"No way, she's gotta be worth at least two weeks."

He looked at his friend with a look of fake wisdom. "See, that's what separates us. You stop for anything. I, on the other hand, flow."

At that, Sano snorted. "I see your head hasn't gotten any smaller."

"I just call it like it is."

"Whatever."

Silence followed.

"So, how's the chick you hit?"

He grimaced at Sano's sudden question.

"Talk about random. Where did that come from?"

"It came from a very bored friend with nothing to talk about and the fact that you've been ranting about her for the past week," Sano said sarcastically.

A pair of angry blue eyes flashed before him.

"Been handling it. She actually went to school with me today," came his dismissive answer.

Sanosuke looked at him with a spark of interest. "How come you didn't say anything?"

"Didn't think it was important."

"What's she like?"

"A real pain in the butt."

"It can't be that bad."

"It's worse."

He could see Sano shrugging his shoulders.

"She hot?"

He remembered how she looked when he finally turned to her.

"Nothing special."

"Too bad. Thought I'd check her out."

"You'd be wasting your time," Kenshin responded, leaning in and opening the door to their English classroom.

Bright sunlight followed and noise immediately invaded their ears. He could feel a dozen eyes on him and already knew that most of the girls there were trying to figure out if today was their lucky day. But, strangely enough, he didn't feel like flirting with them like he usually did. He was having a bad day and Sano mentioning his family's guest wasn't helping one bit. He went instead to the corner where more of their friends were hanging out and received their grunts and slaps with considerable ease.

"How's it going?" the smiling guy next to him asked.

"It's been alright. How've you been doing, Soujirou?"

"Feeling pretty good. Got a new girl."

"This one gonna stay?"

"Depends," Soujirou replied, his eyes mischievous.

"Hey, where's Enishi?" Sano interjected, sinking smoothly into the chair behind Kenshin.

"Late I guess. Had some fun with a blond the night before. So must be feeling tired."

"Nice explanation, Okiya," Sano said, laughing.

"Only one that fits, man."

And all of them dissolved into laughter.

_

* * *

I hate him._ Kaoru was repeating this like a mantra. If she had thought that he was annoying when they were arguing in his house, then she definitely felt worse now that she was roaming around the ridiculously huge school he went to, which, by the way, he forgot to mention could pass for a castle! She had already spent 10 minutes just trying to figure out where the principal's office was in order to get a list of her subjects and rooms. And, after a very tiring and fruitless search, here she was, stranded in the middle of the hall, looking as lost as a helpless bird. _I hate this! Why did I ever tell him I didn't need his help?_ His arrogant eyes came back to her and she instantly knew why. 

She sighed loudly and leaned against the wall behind her. Closing her eyes, she tried to drive the tension away from her body.

"Anything I can do to help?" a smooth voice interrupted.

Her eyes flung open. Her head swiftly turned towards the intruder. A few feet away, stood one of the cutest boys she had ever seen and he was slowly walking towards her, his eyes glinting with amusement. She stared at him awestruck as she took in his silver hair and lean body. She vaguely remembered a TV show she had recently watched about silly high school crushes and realized just how well this scene fit in. The guy looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine. The nearer he came, the more she noticed how good-looking he was. _He looks like candy. _She blushed at the thought and immediately regretted it, knowing that he noticed by his slight smirk.

"Need some help?" he asked, now standing right in front of her.

She looked up at him almost shyly and noticed his silver eyes.

"Ummm…No thanks..Think I can pretty much handle it," she responded hurriedly, unable to look away. He had amazing eyes.

"Are you sure? I can be pretty helpful."

He smiled. _He has an amazing smile too._

"That's alright. I've got it covered," she smiled back.

"Oh..okay then. I guess I'll be seeing you."

She didn't miss the fact that his eyes had clouded over with disappointment and felt like punching herself when he shrugged and started moving away from her. _Stupid._ She tried to figure out what to do next, but she was just too nervous. _Should I ask him or not?_ Her brain went into overdrive. Her gaze suddenly darted to his back._ Even from behind, his hot!_

"Wait."

She watched as he slowly turned, her heart skipping a few beats.

"Do you know where the principal's office is?"

His eyes crinkled.

"Know it? I get called to go there almost every week. It's like my second home."

She grinned.

"Can you tell me where it is?"

"Can I bring you there instead?"

* * *

Enishi looked at the hottie walking beside him. His skin started to tingle and he knew that if he didn't get to touch her right now, he just might lose it. _Man, this girl is gorgeous._ He couldn't stop checking her out. There was just too much to check out. She had on a skirt that was pretty modest, but it clung to her legs in a way that she probably didn't even know and contrasted with her milky white skin. As for the rest of her body, it was covered with a blue shirt that wasn't too tight but showed off just the right amount of curves. He just couldn't keep his eyes from wandering to her small, tight waist and was imagining how it would feel to put his arm around it. 

She must have felt him staring because she looked at him with uncertainty and a hint of nervousness.

"Is anything wrong," her perfect set of ruby lips asked.

"Nah. Everything's cool. Just wondering how someone as hot as you got stranded here," he replied, turning on the charm.

Just as he expected, she blushed. _Damn she's cute. _She had the most amazing blue eyes he had ever laid eyes on and a face that could almost pass for perfect. And her hair. He could smell it even from where he was standing and it was intoxicating.

"I don't know. Just ended up here somehow. Life can be kinda weird sometimes."

"Yeah, it can be."

* * *

Kenshin was pretty much ready to go to sleep. _Can this teacher be any boring?_ He could hear half the class whispering animatedly and Sano snoring loudly behind him. And the poor man in front of him, Mr. Kurosaya, was still droning on and on about e.e cummings, obviously trying to ignore his students' blatant lack of interest. Kenshin pitied him. But that didn't make the teacher interesting. _Wish there was something I could do to shake things up. _

Then he noticed a girl constantly glancing at him. He smirked inwardly. He could see that she wasn't hard on the eyes. In fact, he had even thought of hooking up with her a couple of times. _What's her name again? Aki..something. _He caught her eye and smiled slowly, making sure that she knew he was looking at her. She leaned towards him, not breaking eye contact. _No harm in a little flirtation._

That was when the door suddenly opened and everyone's eyes turned to see who came in so late, including him. When he spotted that raven hair, he immediately knew who it was. She was followed by none other than a grinning Enishi. _Great_. _Just my luck._

He felt the entire class go silent and even Sano woke up from his stupor. He watched her closely. She was apparently surprised and embarrassed by all the attention they were getting. He noticed her draw back a little. Enishi, on the other hand, looked very relaxed and very pleased.

"Well, Mr. Yukishiro, it looks like you're early for second period."

"Yeah, it looks that way," his friend said mildly.

"But this is the _first_ period, Mr. Yukishiro," the irritated man snapped.

Some of the students laughed.

"Listen, teach," he said, holding his hands up, "Don't bust me up. I was just helping a lovely damsel in distress."

He looked at the girl beside him and she seemed less than glad at having their eyes pinned on her once again. _Not so loud now._ He thought with satisfaction and silently rejoiced at the fact that she was uncomfortable.

"Woah. She's fine!" Sano muttered in his ear.

He inexplicably felt irritation.

"She's not that hot," he said, trying to sound unimpressed.

"What! What do you mean? You blind or something? All the guys here are practically salivating," Sano exclaimed, outraged that his friend was such a poor judge of beauty.

And he was right. Every other man in the room was looking at her like she was Aphrodite incarnate.

"She's just like every other chick we've got here," he said, his eyes narrowing as she started to speak.

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, sir," she started, "Enishi was just helping me get a hold of my schedule."

She could definitely sound sweet when she wanted to.

Mr. Kurosaya smiled at her and assured her that it was okay. Relief came flooding into her eyes, and she grinned back.

"Take your seat, Mr. Yukishiro and, as for you,…err"

"Kaoru," she stated.

Kenshin looked at her in surprise. Her face had not changed. It was still steady.

"Kaoru…," the teacher prodded.

"Samiya Kaoru," a voice said.

He was shocked to realize that it was his voice. _What the hell?_ But he willed his expression to not falter. And he saw that she was looking at him for the first time. It was obvious that she had not realized he was there and he couldn't read the expression in her eyes. The people around them were whispering frantically, interested in the fact that he knew this newcomer. Even Enishi was looking at him rather oddly. But Kenshin kept on looking at her, as if daring her to say anything.

"Actually, it's Kamiya," she said clearly, looking at him pointedly.

"Alright Ms. Kamiya, since you and Mr. Himura seem to know each other, you can sit right in front of him."

Both of them stiffened and, this time, everyone could see how she hesitated. She looked at the chair and then at him and back at the chair again. He smirked. _So. Getting a little nervous. _Knowing she couldn't do anything, she resigned herself to her fate, started walking towards the chair. She didn't even look at him when she settled down.

* * *

"Can't believe you know her and you didn't even tell us!" 

Kenshin and his friends were in the cafeteria along with the rest of the student population and, just as he had anticipated, they were all ganging up on him and badgering him with questions about Kaoru.

"Look, I didn't think it was important," he stated for the millionth time.

All his companions burst into speeches on how they thought it _was_ important. He simply blocked them out, trying to forget the fact that invading his home life was not enough for her, now she was trying to invade his school life as well.

Practically the whole student body now knew about the mysterious new girl, how she was said to be drop-dead gorgeous and was apparently living with him. He had lost track of all the rumors escalating about their supposed relationship and had lost all hope of trying to suppress them. Teenage mouths were just too hard to stop. And his friends weren't any better. Finally, because he couldn't handle all the noise, he placed two of his fingers in his mouth and gave a loud whistle. They all stopped and looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Let's talk about something else," he told them.

Their confusion grew.

"Is anything wrong, Kenshin? You seem out of it," Soujirou said.

"Don't mind him," Sano interrupted, taking a biscuit and gobbling it up, "He's gone blind overnight."

"It's not a question of being blind," Enishi spoke, "It's a question of being in denial."

Kenshin raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the reason why you're not as interested in her as we are is because you already made a move on her and got rejected," he smirked.

Sano choked on his biscuit.

"You know, I never thought of it that way," his friend said knowingly, "But I think you're right, Enishi."

Enishi leaned back on his chair and fixed Kenshin with a challenging stare. Kenshin could feel himself getting angry. Enishi always liked to bait him.

"No, I haven't come on to her," he said slowly, "Be thankful that I haven't or you wouldn't have a chance in hell."

His rival's eyes sparked with anger. They all knew that Enishi had set his sights on her. The rest of their friends were looking at them worriedly. The tension was piling up.

"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you. You know you can't have her and that's why you're moping," he replied through clenched teeth.

"I always get what I want," he stated arrogantly, "There's no one I can't have."

"Oh yeah," Enishi smirked again, "Why don't you prove it?" He stared at a point beyond Kenshin's shoulder.

Kenshin looked back and saw Kaoru at a table a few feet away from theirs. For a moment he was uneasy. They weren't exactly the best of friends. What if he got embarrassed? He watched as she reached for a sandwich and started to eat. _Cool it, Kenshin. You can handle her. Just be a bit friendlier and she's all yours._ He didn't let the others see his hesitation and faced them with a small smile.

"Watch and learn."

He stood up and started to walk towards Kaoru. He could feel their eyes upon him and knew they were very anxious to see how she would react. Fine, he could act like he was into her.

As he got nearer, he knew that she sensed him and she looked up to catch him staring at her.

"Hi," he said smiling, then went ahead and sat across her.

Her blue orbs widened in bewilderment.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, beaming at her in a way that he hoped was irresistible. But she apparently didn't seem to think so.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

He tried his best to look innocently appalled.

"I don't need a reason to want to sit with you, do I?" he asked her.

Her eyes narrowed and she looked at his snickering friends behind him.

"If this is some sort of bet or some sick initiation you and your friends have, then count me out," she said, dropping her sandwich and crossing her arms. She seemed to do that often when she was around him.

"Kaoru, it's not like that. I just came to say sorry," he insisted.

Strangely, this seemed to infuriate her even more.

"You don't honestly think you can sweet talk me, do you?"

"That's not what I'm trying to do."

"Look," she replied, standing up and gathering her books, "Don't treat me like some bimbo who'll just fall all over you whenever you smile, because I'm not. Frankly, I find it hard to believe that you want to be friends all of a sudden when, just a few hours ago, you were making fun of me."

And with that, she stormed out of the cafeteria without a second look. His cheeks started to burn.

"Strike!" he heard Enishi shout.

* * *

Kenshin and Kaoru drove home in silence, both refusing to acknowledge the other. Kaoru secretly looked at him for a second. It looked as if he was thinking about something really important. She wondered why he hadn't bugged her about what happened in the cafeteria. She was sorry she had acted that rudely, but, when she realized that he was doing it simply because of his friends, she had been outraged. 

All day long, she had battled with the stares and the occasional glares from some of the girls. She felt as if she was being held under a microscope and was being slowly dissected. And she didn't like the feeling. Somehow, she didn't want them to know she had lost her memory. And she was surprised to realize that Kenshin probably didn't tell his friends also, since there was still no gossip about that. _The only good thing he's done all morning._

They finally arrived at the Himuras' estate and she struggled to open the car door as fast as she could, but, to her consternation, found that it was locked. She turned to Kenshin in bewilderment.

"Don't ever do that again," he muttered.

Now, she was really confused.

"Do what again?"

"Embarrass me like that!"

He met her questioning gaze. She was startled to see that his amber eyes had darkened.

"You don't want to test me, Kaoru," he proclaimed, "I rule that school."

She was speechless. She honestly didn't know what to say. Whatever fear she might have had was quickly replaced with disbelief. She couldn't believe his conceit. Himura Kenshin was undoubtedly a spoiled brat. It was time for so someone to knock him down a peg or two.

"Listen, Kenshin, and listen good," she responded, glowering at him, "You might have this twisted notion of how everyone should treat you and it might have been followed in the past by all those so-called fans of yours. But treat me differently! I am not a puppy and, most especially, not your puppy. If I don't like you, then I don't like you!"

"Who do you-," he started.

"I'm not finished!" she interrupted, stilling him.

Now, it was Kenshin who seemed speechless, looking at her like he couldn't believe what she was saying.

"I will not be threatened nor will I be commanded. Is that clear?" she finished.

It took him quite a while to recover and, when he began speaking again, Kaoru knew he was angry.

"I don't think you know who you're talking to."

"I think I do. You're Himura Kenshin, a childish kid trying to act like a man."

"What!"

"Do you want me to repeat it?" she asked, trying to get a rise out of him.

She almost burst out laughing when she saw how his mouth opened and then closed again. The sight of him so powerless made her feel very mean and she decided to rile him up just a little bit more.

She stared at him for a while.

"Why?" she whispered, "What were you expecting me to do?"

She looked at him intently and he was suddenly very quiet. She slowly moved forward and leaned towards him, putting her hands on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat speed up and could smell his aftershave.

She allowed her hand to stay that way, letting it rise and fall with his chest. Both their eyes were drawn to her fingers.

"What are you doing-"

"Did you expect me to do this," she whispered, this time just over his ear. He turned to face her. And she could feel the breath from his lips.

She felt him clutch the steering wheel harder. Kaoru was very much aware of the fact that the car had become a bit suffocating. She decided it was time to quit.

"Not gonna happen," she stated, pushing him away and reaching over to unlock the doors.

"See you," Kaoru said, trying to appearchirpy,and left a wide-eyed Kenshin inside the car.

* * *

Kenshin punched the nearest thing beside him. _Damn her! _He thought, trying to slow his heart down. **

* * *

Author's Notes: How'd you like it? I'm trying not to make it seem as if Kenshin and Kaoru immediately fall for each other, I just want to establish the fact that they are, from the start, attracted to one another, though they try to ignore it. Why does Kenshin seem to dislike Kaoru so much? You'll know a couple of chapters away. If there are any errors, grammatical or otherwise, then forgive me. I'm just a lazy writer who, up to now, still hasn't rechecked the chapters. Does Enishi have silver eyes? Don't really know. **

**Don't forget to press that wonderful button at the bottom…hehe…**


	4. Penny for Your Thoughts

**

* * *

**

The Looking Glass

**Chapter 4: Penny for Your Thoughts**

* * *

Kaoru tried her best to walk steadily to her room, attempting to make her face seem as indifferent as possible. She crossed the long hallway and turned the knob to get inside the chamber the family had given her. Once inside, her façade gave way. She closed the door hastily, leaning against the door, her legs slowly giving out. As she sank to the floor, she willed her heartbeat to calm down. She brought her hand to her forehead and was shocked to feel moisture. _Sweat._ She didn't know what got into her. _Okay. Next time, no limited breathing space._

* * *

That morning, Kaoru quietly got into the car. This time she hadn't been late, and she and Kenshin had not spoken since she'd found him waiting for her in the living room. She kept glancing at him, trying to see if she could catch him by surprise and determine what he was feeling. But his face gave nothing away. It was unnerving. Kaoru was fond of activity. Interaction.

"Is something on my face or are you just looking for more things to insult?"

Her face hardened.

"Give me a minute and I'm sure I'll be able to think of something."

He laughed scornfully, glancing at her and then back at the road.

"Take all the time you need, sweetheart. I'm dying for some entertainment."

She shifted her body so that it was facing him.

"You really can't last a minute without picking on someone, can you?"

"Not someone. Just you."

She felt the familiar stirrings of her temper.

"And why is that?" she said with barely concealed anger.

"Do I really need to answer that?"

"I don't ask questions I already know the answers to."

"Then you must not know all whole lotta stuff."

"I know that I'm not hearing anything from you that makes the tiniest bit of sense. I asked you a question. It can't be that hard to answer it properly."

They were now at school and he was slowly parking the car.

"Let's see," he said, turning off the engine and facing her as well, "you insult me and then try humiliating me. That doesn't exactly qualify as friendly behavior."

"And I guess the fact that you provoked me means scratch, right?"

He pulled the key out of the ignition. "Just stay out of my way."

With that, he got out of the car and proceeded to walk away, leaving her there, fuming.

* * *

Kaoru was able to get to English with five minutes to spare. Her locker was pretty far away so she had to run to make it before the first bell. She stood outside the door for a few seconds, took a deep breath and entered. Pairs of eyes immediately turned to look at her and she inwardly squirmed. What was it with these people? _Haven't they ever seen a new girl before?_ She headed straight for her seat, focusing on nothing else because she didn't want to have to see who was behind it. She sank down and placed her messenger back on the armchair. She started playing with the strap in an effort to keep her hands occupied. Where was the teacher?

At the back, she heard the sound of giggles and Kenshin's low voice. Giggles again. She rolled her eyes. _The wonders of teenage hormones_. She was listening in amusement at his attempts to sound smooth and the girl's obvious pleasure when she felt something hit the foot of her chair. She decided to ignore it, but there it was again. She adjusted her position, trying to make it stop. But it didn't. Again and again she felt the slight tapping of someone's foot. She tried coughing a bit. But that didn't work either. Kaoru was beginning to feel irritated. A high-pitched laugh broke her eardrums and the chair gave a rather big thud. _Okay. _Enough was enough.

She turned annoyed eyes at Kenshin. "I'm sorry, but while I'm very pleased that you're enjoying yourself, could you please control your exuberance and try not to hit the back of my chair. It's giving me a migraine."

He smirked coldly. "Wrong suspect, Sherlock."

She blanked out for a minute. There was that giggle again. A hand was waved in front of her.

"Sorry about that."

Her gaze was redirected to a pretty brunette who had a huge, embarrassed smile on her face.

"I didn't know I was bothering you. I guess my mind was elsewhere." She looked at Kenshin, as if suddenly remembering that he was there, and blushed. His smirk was so wide she swore it almost gobbled up his entire face.

She pointedly ignored him and the feeling of growing humiliation, and smiled kindly at the girl.

"No problem. Didn't think it was you."

"Yeah, 'cause you insist on blaming me for every bad thing that happens," a voice cut in.

She faced him again. "Is it my fault you look like a goon?"

He leaned back. "Goon? Please, you can do better than that."

She glared at him. "When it comes to you I don't need to do better. You fit right in with mediocre."

He threw his hands up. "Kami-sama, all I want is a simply apology, Kaoru. Just one little 'Kenshin I'm sorry for being a judgmental jerk'."

She refused to feel guilty. "You'll get your apology, when I get mine," she retorted.

That was when she realized that they had an audience. Aside from the somewhat shocked girl sitting on Kenshin's armchair, those near them had stopped to openly listen to their conversation as well. Flushing, she faced the board, vowing to keep her mouth shut.

* * *

It was lunch and she had decided to spend it at the library. She didn't think she could put up with the stares any longer. She really couldn't understand where all the fascination was coming from. She just thanked her lucky stars that the hallway was empty and she was free to walk leisurely, without having to pretend like she saw no one.

Kaoru was in the process of happily listening to the echoes of her own footsteps when a door suddenly opened and two people emerged from behind it. She slowed down, hoping they wouldn't see her, but she didn't stop walking. As she got nearer and nearer, she saw a familiar outline. Slowly, the image became fuller and she caught a glimpse of silver hair.

It was Enishi. His clothes were a bit disheveled and he was talking to the girl who had followed him out. Their conversation was apparently over because the girl was now walking away and he was turning towards her. His hand was wiping the corner of his mouth when he saw her. Then he stilled.

Her forehead wrinkled in confusion at his reaction. Then something clicked. Kaoru was pretty sure she her face turned into a hundred colors. Something inside her felt the acknowledgement of the tiniest bit of disappointment. But it was quickly drowned out by shame. She struggled to control the rising color in her cheeks when he jogged towards her. She consciously fought the urge to turn back and run. That was not a situation she had wanted to be a witness of.

"Hey there," he greeted.

"Hey," she said, attempting to smile. This was just way too weird.

He stopped when he reached her and fell into step with her.

"Nice to see you again," he said, smiling.

"Yeah, same here," was her lame attempt at a reply.

"Where you headed?"

"The library."

Awkward silence then followed. And the echoes she had liked so much just a few minutes ago, now only added to the uncomfortable tension. _What should I say?_ _Nice to know at least someone's having fun? Or congratulations on getting jiggy with it?_

More silent seconds ticked by.

"I guess I completely blew my chance, right?"

She looked at him startled. His hand was at the back of his neck and he was looking down in an almost embarrassed manner.

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her with teasing eyes. "Oh, so that's it. You want to make me squirm some more."

She laughed at his expression. "I honestly don't know what you mean."

He looked at her for a while with a mischievous smile on his face. "Does my making out with another girl bother you?"

Kaoru's face was instantly on fire, her mouth opening and then closing. She stared at him, sure that he wasn't really expecting an answer to that. When he continued looking at her playfully, she realized that he really was. _What should I say?_

She cleared her throat. "Umm…why does it matter?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Because I was planning to ask you out sometime." She froze.

He stopped walking. "It's okay to blink you know."

She automatically looked away. Was it possible for a body to physically set on fire from humiliation?

"I'm that screwed huh," he said when she didn't respond.

She looked at him, trying to stop blushing.

"No, it's not that," she hugged her books to her chest, "I just don't know how to react," she admitted truthfully.

"I find that surprising."

Her forehead wrinkled. "Why's that?"

He shrugged. "I'm sure someone like you is used to this kind of attention."

She reddened yet again. It wasn't because of what he said, more of how he said it. Like he wasn't aiming to flatter her, just telling the truth.

"Not really," she shifted uncomfortably.

He raised his eyebrow. "How come?"

"I don't know."

He chuckled. "You're really informative, aren't you?"

His amusement made her laugh too. "I try to be." She could feel some of the tension slipping away.

"You're really new at this?" he asked her again.

"Why is that so unbelievable?"

He looked at her impishly, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards. Then he shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

At that, she just had to roll her eyes. "That made a lot of sense."

He moved in front of her, blocking her view and keeping her from walking forward. "Allow me to educate you then."

Kaoru wished she could shrink into the size of a bug, anything to escape his gaze, because her body felt like there were a thousand ants crawling inside it. He really did have beautiful eyes.

"I think you should leave that to the teachers," she responded, trying to sound dismissive, and walked around him. She heard his footsteps less than a second later.

They stopped in front of the doors of the library. He had walked her there.

"You really don't like me?" Something in her tingled when she heard his voice.

"I think it's kind of early to tell." They were facing each other. Her back was to the door.

"All the more reason to go out," he said, the lighthearted spark in his eyes again.

"You just don't give up, do you?"

"Why settle when others can do that for you?"

She laughed uncomfortably, but then she saw how solemn he was.

"You really are serious," she stated incredulously.

"Dead serious," he stated

She looked at him, took in the way his hair his hair fell across his eyes, and imagined them looking at that other girl, and probably others before her.

"What about the girl?"

He looked surprised. He opened his mouth and then shut it. This continued for at least a few seconds until he brought his hand to his hair and groaned. "Ah man, I knew I wouldn't get away with that," he looked up, "Let's see," she could tell that he was having a really difficult time thinking of what to say, "Well, technically a few minutes ago I still hadn't asked you out, now though it's a different story."

She gave him a look. "Please don't tell me that was the best you could come up with."

He laughed. "And here I was thinking I could lower your guard by making you blush some more."

This time she really did blush.

He shrugged. "Kaoru, what do you want me to say? Girls usually discover I'm looking to get laid after they date me, not the other way around."

When he saw the look on her face, he quickly put his hands up.

"I was joking," he said. There was a pause. "Okay, maybe not entirely. But it's not always like that with me. I mean, I'm not all about that. Or I can be not only about that."

She felt how he was trying to pull her in, took in how he was leaning slightly forward, and tried to blindly reach for the doorknob. "I don't know Enishi, I just don't think I can handle things like that right now."

She saw him look at her hand and he frowned, and a part of her almost wanted to take back what she said.

"I'm not trying to scare you." Her hand went back to her side. She looked at him in embarrassment.

"You're not. I'm just uncomfortable."

He was silent for a while. "Tell you what," he told her, "I'll back down for now. Do that whole getting to know you thing." She inwardly sighed in relief.

"But the offer still stands." He started moving back, still facing her. "That's what's great about being schoolmates. I can't stalk you without appearing to."

He grinned. And she felt her body relax.

The space between them grew bigger. "I guess I'll be seeing you around."

"Okay."

She could still feel his eyes on her when she entered the library.

* * *

"You're new right?"

Kaoru looked at the book now on top of her table. Her eyes trailed across a white arm and arrived at an incredibly friendly face. The girl was standing across her and smiling.

"Yeah, I am."

"Can I sit down?"

She nodded. "Sure."

Her new acquaintance practically bounced down, her long braid flying in the air. Her hand shot up and extended towards Kaoru.

"I'm Misao."

"Kaoru," she said, accepting the girl's hand. She was pleasantly surprised to have it shaken vigorously.

She smiled a little at how energetic Misao was. Her face was shining with warmth and she couldn't seem to keep still, shifting from side to side ever so often.

"I'm so glad I met you," she burst out, "I've been wanting to since yesterday. I'm in both your Math and Biology classes. I'm sorry I wasn't able to say hi until now." She laughed and Kaoru found herself liking this girl. "Believe it or not, I was kinda shy at first. Not that you look mean or grouchy or anything like that," she said quickly, giving Kaoru a reassuring look, "It's just that you always had your head down and it's pretty hard trying to make friends with someone who isn't even looking at you. But I'm happy now because at least we've finally said hi to each other. I just love getting to know people. You seem really nice by the way."

Misao took a deep breath, and Kaoru took that time to say something.

"I'm happy to meet you too."

"Have you met anyone else yet? Have you been around?"

She looked absolutely giddy when Kaoru indicated she hadn't.

"I've gotten to know one or two students. But that's about it."

"This is so cool! I could be your guide, introduce you to people, answer your questions. That kinda stuff." She looked at Kaoru who was staring at her in mild bewilderment. "Is anything wrong? Am I freaking you out or something? I'm so sorry, but I'm always like this," she laughed a little nervously, "I can't help it."

"No, of course not," Kaoru assured her. "I'm just a bit surprised. The most I've gotten in this school so far are tight smiles from people in general and stares that want to make my skin crawl from some boys in particular."

Misao giggled. "Boys in heat. Not good."

"Uugh," Kaoru said, scrunching her nose in disgust, "the mental image that just created is so not decent."

The girl across her started laughing and she joined her.

"No, seriously," Misao stated after a while, "It's not that bad here. It just takes some getting used to. I'll help you. You'll be bouncing down the halls in no time."

Kaoru smiled at her. "I doubt that but thanks."

Misao wouldn't have any of her negativity.

"Missy, as far as I'm concerned there are no buts. There's a lot of fun around and I just happen to have the extremely fortunate talent of catching what's around me."

Kaoru still had her doubts but she felt some of her initial nervousness go away because of the smaller girl's enthusiasm. She couldn't help thinking that she'd met her first friend there.

"Okay then, my fate is in your hands."

"Now that's more like it," Misao said happily, grabbing her book and opening it. Kaoru followed her example.

"So I hear you're living with the school golden boy."

Kaoru found herself frowning almost against her will. Why was he always mentioned? Was there some hidden rule that saidhe had to plague her even when he wasn't with her?

"That bad huh," Misao said grinning.

"Worse."

"Aw, just give it a week or two. He kinda grows on you."

She looked at her with startled eyes. "You know him? Personally?"

The girl shrugged. "Yeah, you could say that."

Kaoru was busy trying to connect the cute and friendly girl with the scornful jerk, when her thoughts were interrupted.

"What's the deal with that anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"The whole living arrangement thing. Are you a cousin or something?"

Kaoru froze. The blankness again. The overwhelming blankness.

"Kaoru?"

She looked up. Misao was staring at her.

"Are you okay?"

She started flipping the pages of her book.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She cleared her throat. "It's just that I'm not with my parents right now. So I'm staying with them for a while. I'm not a relative."

If Misao found her reaction weird, she gave no indication of it; and instead started talking animatedly about the different clubs in the school and teachers with weird haircuts. But she no longer had Kaoru's attention.

* * *

Kaoru was looking out the window, trying to block out the extremely loud music coming from the stereo. Buildings and the occasional trees flew past her. All of them seemed to blur and blend inside the mosaic of images and sounds in her mind. Bright colors. Dark ones. Loud noises. Silence. Nothing mattered. She couldn't understand any of them. Couldn't determine one from the other. She could feel her lids growing heavy and she closed them. Her head was turned sideways away from the quiet boy beside her, and was resting on the car seat.

"If you fall asleep, I'm not going to wake you when we get there."

She almost sighed out loud. She was too tired for this.

"Why don't you pay attention to the road," she said wearily, still not opening her eyes.

Amazingly, it shut him up and she had the privilege of enjoying a fight free ride.

She didn't know if she could do this. Most people usually had the luxury of running away from their problems first before they hit them square on the face. She couldn't. If she ran, it ran with her. It was always with her. It seemed to creep into every conversation, every question. A girl needed a break too.

She felt the car slow down to a stop.

"We're here," a voice said gruffly.

Color invaded her eyes. "I thought you weren't going to wake me up," she stated looking at Kenshin.

"You weren't asleep," he replied curtly, reaching backwards for his notebook.

She looked at him and studied the way his mouth was set in a grim line and how his shoulders were tense from the action.

"Why didn't you tell them?"

His head jerked towards her and he stared at her in confusion.

"If I ask you what the hell you mean, will you bite my head off?"

"I just want to know."

"I was aware of that, Kaoru, but like I said, what _do_ you want to know?"

She scowled at him. "Do you have to turn everything into an argument?"

"When you're being this stupid, yes."

She felt her mouth tighten. "Why didn't you tell them I have amnesia?"

Her question was followed by stillness. He stared at her, amber eyes flicking over her face.

"Do you want me to tell them?"

Her gaze met his head on. "No. But that's not what I asked."

His voice didn't hold any of the earlier irritation. It was just somber. "Why did you think I would?"

She couldn't believe he was even asking that. And she replied without thinking.

"You've made it pretty clear from the first moment you met me that you disliked me. I would think that you and your friends would have a jolly good time laughing about it."

His eyes darkened and the amber intensified. She felt herself involuntarily draw back.

"You know, Kaoru, this might come as a shock to you, but I'm not the evil villain you so desperately want to believe I am," and, with that, he opened his door and slid out of the car.

She just sat there.

**

* * *

Author's Notes:**

**Hey! Here I am, back from the dead. I'm so sorry for the long silence. I still want to continue this story and I hope you haven't completely forsaken it. I'll try to never take that long updating again. **

**Anyways, I've revised the past chapters. You may not notice the changes since they aren't that major. I just felt like there was way too much given. I'll insert some of the details I took out in the later chapters. I've also changed the title. I was pretty satisfied with the former one, especially since it came from the song that inspired me to write this, but I had to for personal reasons. **

**I think I somehow made the earlier chapters just a bit too..I dunno..and too fast..so I'm currently struggling to mellow things out to make the flow seem a bit more natural. I don't know if I'm succeeding, but I'm trying. Despite the pretty toned down scene at the end, Kenshin and Kaoru are far from liking each other. I just don't think it would be that real if they're at each others' throats, shouting at and hating every single minute. I'll reveal more about the characters as the story progresses. Sorry for not having a Kenshin POV here. Maybe in the next chapter.**

**Goldmund: Did you notice that Kaoru only acts out of character where Kenshin is concerned? This is because, yes, she is scared and lonely, but she also tries very hard to appear strong and steady even more so with Kenshin. He just keeps on provoking and provoking her that she can't help but fight back and act _strangely_ towards him as a defense mechanism. Kaoru, because she has lost her memory, is very vulnerable. Kenshin threatens her the most not only because he makes a conscious effort to be mean to her, but also because he is very much connected to what happened to her. So it is no wonder that she does strange and, sometimes, impulsive things around him in an unconscious attempt to protect herself. As for Kaoru's fake attempt to hit on Kenshin, you'll find that she wasn't as in control as she appeared to be... Anyways, the review was greatly appreciated..it's made me think about certain matters in a different way…I'll be keeping your words in mind when I make the story **

**To everyone else who reviewed thank you so much. You guys make me so happy. Hehe. I'm sorry I'm not able to give each of you an individual response. That's largely because I want to release this chapter asap. I promise there will be responses in the next chapter. So keep those reviews coming! **

**Comments? Suggestions? Observations? Or plain rants? It's all good to me. Just tell me what you think 'cause I love hearing from you **


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